Science

DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!

Steel Wool on Fire: DIY Video Effects from the Pros

Steel Wool on Fire: DIY Video Effects from the Pros

Eli Stonberg and Jeff Greco are Fourclops, an interactive video directorial team. Their video for Au Revoir Simone’s “Knight of Wands” was nominated for “Most Innovative Music Video” in the MTV O Music Awards. Their work has been featured on the Creators Project, the Los Angeles Times, ESPN TV, and Mashable and clients include Coca Cola, Blu Dot, Smirnoff, Passion Pit, and Tune Yards. It’s inspiring to know that they created some of their special effects with simple household items like milk, food coloring, steel wool, and Alka-Seltzer. Anyone can do them.

Continue Reading Stett Holbrook5
Creating an Accurate Anatomical Model of an Octopus in 3D

Creating an Accurate Anatomical Model of an Octopus in 3D

If you look up “octopus anatomy” in Google Images, you will mainly find detailed illustrations of the internal organs. Unfortunately, they don’t do the anatomy of an octopus justice. I saw the octopus I’d dissected as a piece of art: a clean, tightly-packed bundle of clearly distinguishable parts with a great sense of symmetry. I photographed everything from different angles as reference for the 3d model I was planning to create. The goal was to start work on something I’ve dreamed of for a long time – a library of very detailed anatomical models.

Continue Reading Mieke Roth35
Making The World’s Thinnest Watch

Making The World’s Thinnest Watch

Dave Vondle and Jerry O’Leary are making the world’s thinnest watch. I’ve enjoyed watching this project unfold from day 1. Actually, I’ve been watching this project unfold well before that. Dave was my summer intern in 2004. Working with smart, talented interns is always a joy, but every once in a while someone comes along who is truly gifted. I learned so much more from Dave that summer than he learned from me, and I continue to learn from. Dave moved on to IDEO after college, and was one of the people behind IDEO Labs. It was there that Dave honed his skills as a talented maker who skillfully combines engineering, design, and aesthetic to make some great new devices like this watch.

Continue Reading Kipp Bradford16
Black Makers Month: John Glass

Black Makers Month: John Glass

John is my dopplegänger. He works at NASA. That’s cool! He is an outer-space food packaging expert, a motocrosser, and an Arduino hacker. We all take packaging stuff for granted, but I can assure you that there are many challenging trade-offs. It’s great that someone as talented as John is working on these critical issues. I like the motocross and Arduino hobbies, too! I’m wondering if he’ll find a way to combine all those talents? I did hear that John has an Arduino project involving motocross. Good start! If only there was a way to get NASA involved with that project…

Continue Reading Kipp Bradford44
Making It Through The Blizzard of 2013

Making It Through The Blizzard of 2013

Like many people in Southern New England, we were hit pretty hard by the Blizzard of 2013. Not only did we lose power for three days, but our road was blocked by fallen trees (cutting our supply lines), and our natural gas heater won’t fire without power, so we had to figure out how to get through those three days. Here’s how we used an ad-hoc solar power system, wood stove, and some snow shoveling to keep warm, fed, and charged up.

Continue Reading Brian Jepson28